Pickles, Illustrated is a fun romp through the world of pickling. Using a variety of different flavor profiles from around the world, Pickles Illustrated will give you a pickle for every moment. Not to mention, the artwork is fun, vibrant, and sparks a feeling of creativity for the intrepid pickler.

Thank you to NetGalley and Chronicle books in exchange for my honest thoughts.

I thought this was super fascinating! I didn't realize that pickling things could be so easy! Solomon makes pickling so creative and accessible. She explains the instructions really well. I enjoyed the extras with the pickle facts as well.

This is quite possibly the most adorable pickle cookbook ever. The illustrations are so cute! The recipes sound fantastic and have easy to follow instructions for new pickle makers like me. I also loved the pickle facts sprinkled throughout the book!

Thank you to Chronicle Books and NetGalley for the advance copy!

Goodreads
13 May 2025
This is the cookbook I never knew I needed. I loved riding on, as the author says, “The great pickle highway.” She includes information of tools needed, or rather not needed; and she even mentions tips that would have never crossed my mind. Like, not all salt is created equal… who woulda thunk. I really like that she gives the reader/cook methods to make pickles that have a lot of wiggle room. I have the freedom to combine different flavor profiles, make them a certain level of tenderness, and pick out how strong I want the flavors. This is good info for a newb pickler. It is not written in a classic recipe style which is a bit disorienting, but I kind of like how that forces me to read everything before I plow in. Also, watermelon rind pickles? Wow, what a concept. I really enjoy her pickle facts sprinkled throughout the book. I find that some of these recipes are not “authentic” per se. Having lived in Asia, some of the Asian ones aren’t what you’d necessarily taste there, but still fun and delicious. Lastly, there is a decent range of common, easy to find ingredients versus specialty ingredients that you’d have to go out of your way to find. After testing out her recipes it’s nice to have “fresh” pickles.

I am a pickle fanatic and I was so excited to read and rate this book. The illustrations are adorable and the recipes are straightforward and look delicious! I can't wait to try so many of these.

I am a pickle girlie and I loved this. I often say my favorite food is vinegar. I will have to report back on the recipes (some interesting ones in there!) but I love and encourage anything to do with tsukemono.

Holy ADORABLE!

How freaking cute is this little cookbook.

I’m obsessed with pickles, and most things pickled, so when I saw this I immediately grabbed the arc!

The illustrations are to die for. The cute little “Pickle Facts” interspersed are a perfect way to break up the recipes.

As for the recipes themselves, I really thought I would get a full book of pickles but this has a wide variety! Sauerkraut, pickled shrimp, coconut cilantro chutney, and so much more!

The only downside is the way the ingredients are listed. Rather than a list format they are bolded and underlined throughout the recipe, honestly fine, but not my preferred style in a book of recipes.

Thank you NetGalley and Chronicle Books for the gifted book. All opinions are my own.

Five—infinite?—pickled stars!

As something of a pickle connoisseur, I was immediately drawn to this book for... obvious reasons. I’ve never attempted to make my own pickles—my talents have always leaned more toward enthusiastic consumption—but after reading this, I’m ready to dive into the brine. The canning supplies are already in my Amazon cart.

The quirky charm of the illustrations completely won me over. Not only is the book visually adorable (I’m genuinely considering framing a few pages), but it’s also organized in a way that feels practical and unintimidating. I fully plan to purchase a physical copy and display it proudly—maybe on my coffee table, maybe on a shrine dedicated to fermented delights.

Also: how have I gone this long without knowing I could be feeding pickle juice to my hydrangeas? I feel like I owe my plants a heartfelt apology and a crunchy little treat.

I’d recommend this book to anyone—even the pickle-averse. It’s charming, informative, and just downright fun.

Thank you to NetGalley, Chronicle Books, and Karen Solomon for the absolute privilege of receiving this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I received an ARC of this cookbook from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book would be a great resource for anyone who wants to learn how to pickle things. There was a wide variety of interesting pickling options in this book!

What a cute, fun, and informative book for those who LOVE pickles or have family & friends who do! The illustrations are so cute and I can totally see this as a coffee table book. This book includes 36 recipes which are broken into sour, savory, sweet or spicy. I am looking forward to making a ton of these recipes!!!

Thank you to NetGalley & Chronicle Books for the ARC!

I love pickles! You'd be surprised how many times I talk about pickles in my life because my love for them runs deep!
The illustrations were so cute! This would make a cute coffee table book because of the cute colors and the whimsical illustrations.
I am very excited to try some of the recipes and I enjoyed reading all the facts about pickles, too. More fodder for my pickle convos!

It's an illustrated cookbook about pickles! It is a fresh change of pace. All artists who contributed to this book deserve more recognition.

I LOVED THIS!!

I know so many pickle lovers that would love this!
The illustrations and the pickle facts were my favourite. The fonts were nice, clear and inviting and the recipes sound intriguing! (Some more than others, but I’d still like to try a few)

Thank you to NetGalley and Chronicle Books for the arc!

I'm a pickle love and I fell in love with this book! The art is nothing but fun and beautiful and I'm so excited to try some of these recipes!

Playful, fun and informative all at the same time!

I was immediately drawn in by the cover, then the font styling, colors and formatting really brought the ideas to life!

The pickle facts were my favorite, and now I have a bunch of new ideas to try for summer salads, sides and snacks. 🥒

I am pickle obsessed and have tried pickling veggies myself a time or two. This book is stunning with its bright and colorful illustrations. I do kind of wish it had actual photos of the pickled items, but I am not completely disappointed with the drawings because they truly were beautifully done.

One of my favorite things this book has is the pickle facts! It's such fun.

As for the recipes themselves, they are presented nicely, and you have quite a range to choose from. Whether you're looking for variety in type of veggie or flavor profile, there is a pickle in here for every taste bud.

I am looking forward to trying some of these out!

I received a copy in exchange for my honest review.

This recipe book instantly had me intrigued. The unique illustration style fits the book perfectly and the recipes are organized nicely. With creative and not overly difficult recipes, this is the perfect gift for any pickle lover.

Thank you to NetGalley and Chronicle Books for providing an e-ARC.

Very fun illustrations! Loved all the recipes, can't wait to try them. This book had super fun pickle facts sprinkled throughout. Had sweet, salty, spicy, and savory recipes. Also beautiful to look at

This included a lot of great recipes! I've definitely excited to try some of these out, and my dad (who is a chef) was also super interested!

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the advanced copy!

Pickles, Illustrated is a well written, attractively presented, niche collection of recipes and miscellanea featuring sweet and savory twists on pickled foods by Karen Solomon. Due out 16th Sept 2025 from Chronicle Books, it's 152 pages and will be available in hardcover and ebook formats.

The book has a friendly, funky, retro graphic vibe which suits the slightly offbeat focus, to put pickles in the brinelight (see what I did there?). It's full of tasty recipes which, if they aren't instant classics, will definitely be a hit with pickle fanatics. The author has developed and included some unexpectedly adventurous recipes which will either delight or perplex readers (or a bit of both?) such as scorched red peppers and celery (interesting!). There are some classics included as well, such as her take on pub (Branston) English pickle.

The recipes utilize ingredients which will mostly be readily available in any well stocked grocery store in North America - however some feature ingredients (asafetida) which will require specialist retailers, probably online; not prohibitively rare, but requiring some planning for readers who live outside NYC or LA. They're arranged in the book thematically by flavor profile: sour-ish, savory-ish, sweet-ish, and spicy-ish.

Each recipe includes a description/intro, yields, ingredients written into the recipe (no bullet list), and step-by-step prep directions. Ingredient measures are given in imperial (American) units with metric in parentheses (yay!). There is no nutritional info provided.

It's got a bouncy, fun, young, foodie vibe, and the author is very open and chatty (in a good way). It's a small collection, but every one of the recipes, even the simpler ones, definitely have some *pow* factor.

There is no photography included (the colorful illustrations are by Alice Oehr) but since it's a book on pickles/side dishes, the lack of photography isn't an issue really.

Four stars. Really fun collection. It would make an excellent gift for a foodie friend, or for the home cook's library, as well as public or school library acquisition.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes